Pokemon XY: Tales of Kalos
by heroes1202
Summary: Following the events of "Pokemon X & Y", this story tells the journey of Noah, a young boy whose adventure in Kalos began when he met with his new friends to pick his first Pokemon. What sort of events will unfold on their adventure together through Kalos? What kind of Pokemon will they meet? Only time will tell.
1. Ch 1: Noah's Beginnings - Part 1

_In this wonderous world of ours, there exists a mysterious race of creatures with unique powers and forms. They are our best friends and allies. These creatures...are known as Pokemon. Together with Pokemon, people have opened their minds to endless possibilities and many dreams have blossomed..._

_Those who work together with and train Pokemon are known as "Pokemon Trainers". While on a journey with their Pokemon, the trainer does their best to help their Pokemon realize their true potential and evolve into stronger and more powerful forms. Together, through this co-operation, human and Pokemon have begun to fully understand and better communicate between each other. Every child, when they reach the age of 10, are officially qualified to be called a "Pokemon Trainer". And every trainer has a dream, the dream to become a "Pokemon Master"._

_This is the Kalos region, a brand new region in the Pokemon world that has recently been discovered. And with each new region comes brand new Pokemon and adventures on the horizon. And this...is where my tale of becoming a Pokemon trainer begins._

_Hi. My name is Noah and this is my story of how I began my Pokemon journey..._

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 1: Noah's Beginnings - Part 1_**

Our story opens up in the quaint and picturesque town of Vaniville Town on a bright sunny morning. The town itself was relatively small with many homes lining the streets alongside the lush green foliage. In one house in particular, we find a Fletching, one of the Pokemon owned by the family, flying up the stairs into one of the family bedrooms. It soon landed at the foot of the bed, looking on at a sleeping youth under the sheets. It gave a cheerful chirp, attempting to awake the boy.

"Hmnh. F-Five more minutes mom..." he mumbled. Fletchling looked on with a confused look before hopping up onto the boy's sheets. It hopped over towards his ear and gave another chirp. But this time, the tiny bird was bopped in the head, believed to have been the boy's alarm clock. Fletching stumbled around in a daze before plopping down on the bed. However, the bird Pokemon was lightly annoyed as it glared back at the boy. With an angry chirp, it took to the air before tackling itself into his face, finally awakening him.

"WHA-! I'm up! I'm up!" he shouted. He looked up and saw Fletching continuing to squawk at him in a angry tone. The boy nervously chuckled.

"Whoops! Don't tell me I thought you were my alarm clock again. I'm real sorry Fletchy." he said. Just then, the two heard a woman's voice from downstairs entering the room.

"Noah! Are you awake? Time to get out of bed!" the voice called. Noah nodded as he rose out from under the covers.

"Yeah mom! I'm getting up!" he called. Noah was a young ten year old boy with shoulder length dark hair and dark brown eyes. He was seen wearing light blue pajamas, both top and bottom, and white socks. As he walked across the room, he stopped to look at himself in the mirror.

"All right. Better get ready for the day." he said. He then hurried over to his closet, taking out a set of clothes among the various hangers. Fletchy returned downstairs as Noah dressed himself relatively quick. When he was done, he took another look in the mirror. He was wearing a light blue, long sleeved jacket and a pair of jeans, topped with a dark red cap and black shades. Around his neck, stretching down to his waist, was a large bag that he kept his things in.

"There we go." he said. Now fully dressed, Noah began his descent downstairs and soon found himself in the kitchen. Waiting there already was a young woman with light brown hair and autumn eyes. She wore a sleeveless black shirt with a light tan jacket tied around her waist with matching color pants.

"Morning mom. Sorry if I overslept." Noah said. His mother looked to him before lightly chuckling.

"And a good morning to you sleepyhead. Are you all rested up from our move? You were VERY tired yesterday that you surprised me and went to bed early." she said "Anyway, come on over and have breakfast." Noah nodded and walked over to the kitchen table with Fletchy flying over as well.

**_~ POKEMON X/Y ~_**

After Noah was done with his breakfast, he took another look at himself via his reflection in the window and adjusted himself accordingly.

"Say, Noah? Why don't you go outside and introduce yourselves to the other kids in town? I'll be rather busy today. So I don't want you to stay couped up inside all day. Okay?" his mom asked. Noah looked to her and nodded.

"Sure. Why not? I was thinking about checking out the town myself." he replied. Fletchy flew over to join his mom as Noah headed out the front door.

"Oh. And Rhyhorn is probably asleep. Please don't wake him." his mother reminded. Noah stopped and nodded, promising to let him sleep before continuing on. As he walked outside, the glistening rays of the sun shined down onto the city. His house was surrounded by several green bushes and flower beds. On a bed nearby, he saw the family Rhyhorn, sleeping peacefully. But when he looked ahead, he noticed a pair of girls talking to each other by the gates to his home. One appeared to be slightly older than the other with blonde hair styled in a ponytail on the back of her head. The other had light brown hair with two buns on the sides of her head. The younger girl was dressed mostly in pink as the other girl wore a black sleeveless top and a long red skirt.

"Hmm? Who are they? The neighbors?" Noah thought. He slowly walked over as the girls soon caught notice of him.

"Oh. Serena, look. Isn't he that guy who just moved in here with his mom?" one asked. The older girl, Serena, lightly nodded.

"Yeah. I think he is. Oh. And he's looking right over at us." she said. As Noah stopped just a few feet away, the two girls turned to him and smiled.

"Hi there. You must be the new kid who came to Vaniville Town, right? My name's Serena. I'm your next door neighbor." she said. The younger girl chuckled and rose a hand high into the air with a happy expression.

"And I'M Shauna! Nice to meetcha!" the other exclaimed. Noah lightly chuckled and waved at them.

"H-Hello. I'm Noah. My mom and I just moved in yesterday. But...if I can ask you a question, what exactly were you doing outside my house? Its like you were waiting for me or something." he asked. Serena chuckled.

"Well, to tell the truth, we WERE waiting for you. You see, you probably don't know this...but have you heard of a "Professor Sycamore"?" Serena explained. Noah looked on curiously as he scratched his head.

"W-Well, no. Not really. Who's that?" he asked. Serena looked to Shauna, who continued on the conversation.

"Allow me to explain! Professor Sycamore, also known by his real name of "Augustine" Sycamore, sent letters out to the kids of Vaniville Town for an extra special request. And I'll tell you what else. This means we'll be getting our very OWN Pokemon!" Shauna continued. Noah lightly gasped.

"W-What? He's giving the kids of this town a free Pokemon? F-For what?" he asked.

"From what his letters said, he wanted to ask the five of us, two of whom are not here, to help him in his Pokemon research. To be frank, I was a little surprised he knew about you. After all, didn't you and your mom just move into town?" Serena explained. Noah nodded, reminding them it was just yesterday.

"Anyway, if you could meet us over at Aquacorde Town, we can explain more there. We're just the messenger girls." Serena said. Shauna chuckled and winked.

"Don't you forget now! Make sure to hurry! Or you won't get a Pokemon!" she called. After that, the girls started off on their own towards the town gates. Noah watched until they were completely out of sight.

"Huh. Professor Sycamore...asking the kids of this town for help with his Pokemon research? Huh. There's something you don't hear everyday. Well, I might as well take a look at this." he thought. After slipping past the sleeping Rhyhorn, Noah headed out into the town streets and soon made his way towards the town gates. He remembered hearing there was a short walkway between Vaniville and the neighboring town, Aquacorde.

_~ Later | Aquacorde Town ~_

Taking the quick shortcut between the two towns, Noah found himself in the serene and quaint Aquacorde Town. He looked around at all the people going about their daily lives in town.

"Okay. So...where did those girls want me to meet them? Geez. The least they could've done was told me WHERE to meet them." he thought. Shrugging it off, Noah began searching around the streets of Aquacorde Town, asking anyone he could find if a "pair of girls" passed by here. Not one person was of any help as he seemed to wonder aimlessly among the city streets. After a half hour of looking, he stopped outside a cafe to catch his breath, seating himself at one of the vacant tables.

"Whew! I am BEAT. Sheesh. Those girls forgot to tell me where we were supposed to meet. This is ridiculous." he said. Just then, he heard the sounds of the girls' voices coming from behind him. He looked back and gawked, spotting Serena and Shauna at another table with a pair of boys. They all noticed him and waved.

"ABOUT TIME you made it! What kept ya?!" Shauna called. Noah groaned and slapped himself in the face before moving himself over to the nearby table. As soon as he took his seat, he glared at the girls with an angry scowl on his face, arms crossed.

"Hmm? What?" Serena asked. Noah huffed.

"Thanks AGAIN for telling me where you guys were meeting up. I just waisted half an hour looking for you two!" he complained. Serena lightly gasped.

"O-Oh man! I'm sorry! We totally forgot! Our apologies!" she apologized. Shauna quickly realized it too and begged for forgiveness. Noah sighed.

"All right. I suppose that's fine. Anyway, I'm here. So...what's this about a Pokemon?" he asked. Serena nodded.

"Right. Well, now that you're here, allow me to introduce you to the others. This is Tierno and Trevor." she said. Noah looked across the table at the two boys in front of him. Tierno was a rather large youth wearing a black shirt with a Vanillite decal on the front and a pair of light orange shorts. He had short spiky black hair and was seen wearing a yellow strapped bag around his chest. Trevor was smaller than Tierno, wearing a light green vest over a white undershirt with a pair of light black slacks. He had a large bush of ginger colored hair atop his head, seen looking down towards his feet.

"Yo! Nice to meet you Noah. And, may I just say, Serena's description of you was spot on! Thanks again for coming out to meet us. We were just talking about you." Tierno said. Trevor lightly glanced up at Noah before looking away the second he saw him. The others noticed and nervously chuckled.

"Don't mind him. Trevor's just a bit shy. But don't let that fool you. He's quite the little braniac." Tierno explained. Trevor looked again and lightly blushed, waving his hand.

"H-Hello..." he muttered. Tierno soon directed their attention back towards him.

"Anyway, we're here in place of Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City. He's asked the five of us to assist him in his Pokemon research by taking that first step to becoming Pokemon trainers. While Trevor and I aren't as "noobish" as you guys, he asked us to give you your first Pokemon." he explained. A little against the idea, Noah leaned forward.

"Hold on. So...this "professor" is just GIVING us a Pokemon so we can help him with this "research" of his? Why couldn't he have met us in person?" he asked. Tierno and Trevor looked at each other.

"Well, its like this. The professor said he was totally busy with his studies and couldn't afford the time to come out to see you. But...let me say that this is legit. I got a letter from the professor myself, asking Trevor and me to hand out your first Pokemon to you." he said. He reached into his pocket and took out a small piece of paper that written in the professor's handwriting. After reading it from start to finish, Noah handed it back to him, figuring it was for real. Suddenly, Shauna leaned forward on the table, directing her attention at Tierno.

"So, about our Pokemon partners...you DO got them, right? We waited long enough I'd say." Shauna said. Serena looked to her and sighed.

"Yes. Yes. We know how impatient you are Shauna. But that's not something polite to ask." she explained. Tierno chuckled.

"Its okay. I know how awesome it is to have your very own Pokemon. I sure hope you guys are as excited as Trevs and I were when we got ours. Anyway, now that you're here, on behalf on Professor Sycamore, allow me to introduce your three choices." he said. He reached into the bag around his chest and pulled out three Pokeballs.

"Okay. Now...say hello to...Chespin! Fennekin! And Froakie!" he shouted with zeal. He threw the Pokeballs into the sky, bursting open to reveal three creatures within. Shauna looked with excitement in her eyes as Noah and Serena looked on. The first to take form was a small chipmunk like creature with light brown arms and a bright pink belly and face. On its head was a light green shell covered with four spikes.

"Adorable!" Shauna exclaimed. The next to take form was a light yellow fox with big bright eyes. From its ears grew big bushels of red hair and there was a small bit of red on the tip of its tail. It lightly cooed as it stretched its limbs.

"Aww. What a cutie." Serena muttered. The final to take form was a pail blue frog like animal with a white, bubbly coat around its neck. It had a dark stripe between its two gold eyes. It looked at Noah with a curious look.

"All righty everyone. These are them. So, Noah? I guess you'll be going first. Which Pokemon are you interested in?" Tierno asked. Noah looked over to him before turning his eyes back to Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie, the three Pokemon seated before him.

"Uhhh..." he muttered. Serena and the others watched with anticipation as he looked between the three of them.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	2. Ch 2: Noah's Beginnings - Part 2

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 2: Noah's Beginnings - Part 2_**

_~ Aquacorde Town ~_

We return to Aquacorde Town as Noah is given the first pick of the three Pokemon brought to him and his neighbors via Tierno from Professor Sycamore. He continued to glance between Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. Just then, his eyes seemed to stop on Froakie. The little frog Pokemon continued to look at him ever since it first came out of its ball.

"So, you think you decided?" Tierno asked. Noah nodded and rose from his seat. He took hold of Froakie and picked him up.

"I'm gonna go with Froakie." he said. The little frog looked on at him with a smile as he lightly smiled back. Suddenly, Shauna raced from her seat and picked up Chespin.

"Yay! Oh! I wanted you so much Chespin! You are TOTALLY adorable!" she squealed. Chespin looked on with a slightly nervous look on its face as it was hugged tightly by her. With no one left, Serena looked to Fennekin walking over to her.

"Well Fennekin, I guess its just you and me." she said. Fennekin lightly smiled as it suddenly leaped into her lap. After everyone chose their Pokemon, Tierno looked to Trevor.

"Okay Trevs. Its your turn now." he said. Trevor glanced to him and nodded, reaching into the bag laying by his feet. As the others were busy "bonding" with their first partners, he took out three small portable devices and set them out.

"N-Now that you guys have your Pokemon, the professor also asked us to hand these out. These are your Pokedex. You'll need them if you're going to become trainers." he explained. Noah looked to the devices on the table and picked his up, pointing it at Froakie.

"So...how does this work?" he asked. Just then, with a press of a button, his Pokedex activated and the electronic eye scanned Froakie before displaying his image inside.

_Froakie | Type: WATER_

_The Bubble Frog Pokemon_

_It secretes flexible bubbles from its chest and back. The bubbles reduce the damage it would otherwise take when attacked. Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings._

Closing down the Pokedex, Noah slipped it into his bag before looking to Froakie again.

"So...Noah. If I can ask, why pick Froakie?" Serena asked. Noah looked to her while Froakie rested in his arms.

"Well, I dunno. Something about this guy just clicked in me. The way we looked at each other...I feel as if we were just...perfect." he said. Serena looked on intriguingly at Noah as Fennekin laid gently in her lap. Meanwhile, Shauna used her Pokedex to scan Chespin.

_Chespin | Type: GRASS  
The Spiny Nut Pokemon_

_Such a thick shell of wood covers its head and back that even a direct hit from a truck would not faze it. The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rock._

Not wanting to feel left out, Serena took her Pokedex and looked up Fennekin.

_Fennekin | FIRE  
The Fox Pokemon_

_Eating a twig fills it with energy and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit. It intimidates opponents by puffing hot air out of its ears._

Just then, Tierno reached into his pocket and took out an envelope. He passed it to Noah, stating it was from Professor Sycamore.

"Hmm? What's this for?" he asked.

"Let's just say he wanted your mom to read it. It'll explain everything to her. Make sure you give it to her before you decide to head out." he said. Noah looked at the envelope in his hand and then looked to Froakie.

"Okay..." he muttered.

**_~ POKEMON X/Y ~_**

As he began walking back home to Vaniville Town with Froakie in arm, he seemed to be thinking to himself about whether or not he truly wanted to go on a Pokemon journey. He thought back to the conversation he had with his mother the day they moved in.

_::_

_As the movers and their strong Pokemon assistants helped carry the boxes from the truck into their new home, Noah's mom was seen overseeing the transportation. But then, she noticed Noah just resting beneath the tree outside the house with a rather dull look on his face._

_"Noah? What's the matter sweetheart?" she asked. Noah sighed._

_"Nothing. Just...thinking what I'm gonna do now that we moved all the way here. As far as I'm concerned, I've pretty much got nothing to do. Nothing's been the same...ever since dad...well, you know..." he said. Noah's mother looked on in worry as she gently put her hand on his shoulder._

_"Noah...sweetheart. I know things have been a little hard since your father left us. You especially took it the hardest since you and papa were close." she said "But...I'm sure you'll find something worthwhile here in Kalos. After all, all a mother really wants is for their child to be happy." Noah looked over at her._

_"I dunno. I don't feel all that special. So...what CAN I do?" he asked._

_::_

As he flashed out of his daydream, he looked to Froakie again.

"Maybe this is what mom meant by "finding something worthwhile". After all, Professor Sycamore chose me out of all the other kids in Vaniville Town to become a Pokemon trainer. And...to tell the truth, I always wondered what it would be like being one." he thought. Just then, he noticed Froakie giving a little yawn as he appeared to slowly drift to sleep.

"Heh. Besides, Froakie is kinda cool." he thought. Before he got to town, he used his newly acquired Pokeball to re-call Froakie within before slipping it on his belt. He passed through the front gates and made his way back to his house. As he entered, he noticed his mother at the kitchen counter before she took notice.

"Oh. Welcome back honey. Did you make any friends?" she asked. She then noticed Froakie's Pokeball on his belt.

"Hmm? And what's this?" she asked. Noah looked down at his belt before turning back to her, seeing her eyes beginning to light up.

"Are you...Is this...oh! Noah! You have your own Pokemon! Good for you!" she giggled. Noah lightly blushed and look away.

"Y-Yeah. Well, it was a request by someone. By the way, mom, this is for you." he said, passing Tierno's note to her. She looked at the front and saw it was from a Professor Sycamore.

"Hmm? Professor Sycamore? Oh. I heard of him. He's supposed to be the Pokemon professor of this region. I wonder what he wants." she said. She opened the envelope and began to read the letter from start to finish. It explained, in great detail, how the professor wished for Noah to assist him with his Pokemon research by becoming a trainer alongside Froakie. When she was finished reading it, she turned back to Noah.

"Noah...this is amazing. We just moved in and already exciting things are happening. So...tell me. Are you going to go exploring the Kalos region?" she asked. Noah lightly gasped before looking away, slightly concerning his mother.

"Or...are you still thinking about your father? Sweetheart, don't worry. Mom will be fine by herself. You go. Go and have an exciting adventure. Remember your father's words? "Youth is all about living life to the fullest"!" she explained. Noah nodded.

"Yeah. I remember those words. I guess...I will take this chance. I'll give this "Pokemon trainer" life a try." he said. His mother looked on with a smile.

"Okay. Good for you. So, you HAVE to tell me what Pokemon you have." she said with glee. Noah lightly smiled, looking at her happy face.

_~ Late that Night ~_

After meeting again with Serena and the others in Vaniville Town, they all planned to head out into the world tomorrow morning after a good night's rest. This gave everyone time to prepare and to pass the news along to their families. We come into Noah's bedroom that evening as the sky is full of stars and he is laying in bed with Froakie asleep on his chest.

"Dad? Did you hear? I'm going to be a Pokemon trainer. I hope you're proud of me. I know things have been kinda...well, "hard" since you passed on. But...I'm asking that you look out for me as I'm out there in the world. Who knows? Maybe traveling as a Pokemon trainer is what I needed." he muttered. He then lightly sighed and looked to Froakie.

"I promise to take good care of Froakie. He's my first Pokemon and I hope we become good friends." he said. Afterwards, he slowly closed his eyes as well, drifting to sleep. But as he did, we take you to the outside of Vaniville Town where a mysterious shadow walks into the moonlight from high atop a cliff. It appears to be a Pokemon, but due to the great shadow, it is hard to make it out. The Pokemon appeared to be a large deer like creature with many horns on its head. It stared on at Noah's house with its crystal blue eyes before turning around and walking away on its own.

**_~ POKEMON X/Y ~_**

_~ The Next Morning | Vaniville Town ~_

As day rose over Vaniville Town once again, we find Noah heading out to meet Serena and the others at the gates leading out of town. Before leaving, he made sure he had everything and was fully packed for his trip by his mother. He kept Froakie's Pokeball clipped to his belt. In no time at all, he met up with the others.

"Hey! Noah! We're over here!" Shauna called, waving estatically. He saw Tierno, Trevor and Serena with her, all ready to go as well. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the sunny sky above.

"Well, here I go. All right Kalos! Show me what you've got!" Noah thought, making a fist before joining the others.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	3. Ch 3: Individual Dreams

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 3: Individual Dreams_**

_~ Later On | Aquacorde Town ~_

After bidding their farewells to their families in Vaniville Town, we find Noah and friends taking a stop at Aquacorde Town to stock up for their adventure ahead. We find Serena and Shauna together in the potion market across the street, picking up the supplies to share between each other.

"Ooh! Serena, don't forget some Paralyze Heal. We're gonna need those too!" Shauna exclaimed. Serena looked to her, each hand holding a Potion.

"Careful Serena. Don't go blowing ALL your money on supplies. Otherwise, we're not going to have enough money to even EAT. We're sharing the money until we get to Santalune City, remember?" she asked. Meanwhile, at another shop nearby, we find Tierno with Trevor and Noah, shopping for Pokeballs.

"Okay. So...that's at least five Pokeballs for each of us to start. So...that comes to...uhhh...how much again Trevs?" Tierno asked. Trevor sighed, saying he repeated it so many times before. But as Tierno went back to counting his fingers, Trevor looked over at Noah, holding an empty Pokeball in his hand. On his face was the look of determination.

"Noah? Everything okay?" he asked. Noah snapped out of his trance and looked over to him.

"H-Huh? Oh. Sure. Sorry." he said. Trevor turned back to Tierno as Noah looked at the Pokeball in his hand. He imagined his mother's face as his serious face returned.

"Mom...I'll make you proud. Just wait. Someday, I'll come back home...a champion. Just...wait for me to return, okay?" he thought. He looked to the others paying for the merchandise at the front counter before popping the Pokeball after, everyone met up together in the center of town with supplies in hand. The Pokeballs and healing items were divided equally so that each had the same.

"Hee hee!" Shauna giggled. Tierno looked to her and chuckled.

"And just what's got YOU so gigglish Shauny?" Tierno asked. Shauna chuckled.

"I'm just thinking about all the awesome adventures we're gonna have together while we're on the road together! I mean, this is the start of something HUGE for all of us!" she exclaimed. Serena nodded.

"Yeah. For sure." she said. But just then, Trevor raised his hand.

"Uhhh...I-I don't know if you guys remembered this? But didn't we originally talk about going our own separate ways after we reached Santalune Town? Just because we're all from the same town doesn't mean we have to stay together the ENTIRE trip." he asked. Suddenly, all eyes were on him as he nervously gulped.

"W-What?! Something I say?" he asked. Tierno sighed.

"Way to RUIN the mood man. But...yeah. You make a point. In some ways, we've all got our own dreams to accomplish. Right?" he asked. Serena looked on quietly before nodding.

"Yes. All of us do. You know...since we're all here, I say we share what our dreams are for the road ahead. How about it?" she asked. The others nodded.

"W-Well, I'm just doing what Professor Sycamore asked of me. I'm going to fill up my Pokedex with the most information that I possibly can." he said. Tierno chuckled.

"That sounds like you Trevs. As for me? Well, I dunno if you know this...but I'm a dancer at heart. My BIG dream is to someday have a dance team of my own...just me and my Pokemon." he chuckled. Shauna sighed.

"We KNOW that Tierno. You practically bragged about it while we waited for Noah yesterday. Hmmm. But me? I'm on this journey to make a lot of happy and fun memories I can look back on. Nothing special." she said. Serena smiled as everyone looked to her.

"I'm out to be the strongest trainer I can become. I'm not gonna stop until my name is known across the ENTIRE Kalos region!" she declared, making a fist. The others simply looked on as her words seemed to surprise Noah the most. Suddenly, he saw her looking at him.

"How about you Noah? What are you after now that we're starting our days as Pokemon trainers?" she asked. Noah snapped out of his trance before looking at the others. With all eyes on him, he lightly sighed.

"I dunno. Until all of this happened, I was pretty lost about what I wanted to do. I mean...I grew up with just my mom...no father around to speak of. Heck, I hardly made any friends in my old town because I was so concerned about my mom being all on her own. I probably would've stayed the same if I didn't meet you guys." he said. The others looked on worried as Serena seemed a little shocked by the news. As he closed his eyes, he thought back to a poster he saw in the Pokeball store, promoting the Pokemon League and the eight badges of Kalos.

"But now...I swore to myself that if I was going to become a Pokemon trainer, no title would suit me more than that of a "Pokemon MASTER". I want to be someone that can make my mom proud of me. I have to...so I can make up for all the years I've made her worry." he finished. Tierno and Trevor quietly looked at each other.

"Well...I guess that means you and Serena are going to be rivals. That sounds an AWFUL lot like what she wanted." Shauna commented. Hearing that, Serena and Noah looked towards each other.

"Kinda does, doesn't it? Well, if that's what you want Noah, I'll be rooting for you. But...that doesn't mean I'LL be easying up on my dream either. Let's see whose dream comes true first and which of us becomes a name that Kalos remembers. Deal?" she said. Noah remained quiet before lightly nodding.

"Deal." he said, shaking hands with her.

**_~ POKEMON XY ~_**

_~ Later | On Route 2 ~_

In no time at all, the kids find themselves traveling together through Route 2, on their way towards Santalune Town. But first, according to the map given to Noah by his mother, they would have to pass through Santalune Forest before reaching the town.

"Hey. The forest is said to be home to many other Pokemon. I think we'll really be able to make a lot of friends there!" Shauna exclaimed. Serena nodded.

"Yeah. That's true. And like my parents always tell me. If you want to be a strong trainer, you have to find and befriend as many Pokemon as well." she said. Noah looked to her.

"Really? And just how would your parents know what makes a great trainer?" he asked. Serena looked to him and smirked.

"Because both of my parents happen to be top notched trainers, that's why. I'm going to make them proud." she said. Noah smirked.

"Is that so? Well, I don't know if you guys know this, but MY mom is Grace, the Rhyhorn Rider. She's pretty famous or so I've heard." he countered. Tierno chuckled.

"For real? Wow. I guess that makes you pretty popular too, being her son and all." he chuckled. Just then, they all heard the sound of the nearby bushes rustling.

"H-Hey. Did you guys hear that?" Trevor asked, coming to a stop. The others all stopped too and looked towards the sound, seeing something rustling in the bushes. Out popped a small bird like Pokemon covered in dark brown and vanilla covered feathers.

"WOW! A Pokemon!" Shauna cried. Noah took a good look at the Pokemon before bringing up his Pokedex.

_Pidgey | Type: NORMAL/FLYING  
The Tiny Bird Pokemon_

_A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand. It is docile and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can ferociously strike back._

Noah smirked as he brought out Froakie's Pokeball.

"All right. As my first catch as a trainer, it'll be you...Pidgey." he smirked. But just then, Serena put her arm out, blocking his view.

"Not so fast there Noah. If we're gonna be rivals, then I'm not gonna let you catch YOUR first Pokemon first! Pidgey's all mine!" she sneered. Noah groaned and looked to her.

"Too bad. I saw it first. That makes it mine." he said. But as Shauna pointed out that she called it first, Trevor watched as Pidgey seemed to be hopping away now. He then noticed Noah and Shauna beginning to argue with each other.

"Uhh...I hate to say this you two...but that Pidgey's getting away." Tierno mentioned. Noah and Serena gasped, both seeing Pidgey almost out of sight. They started giving chase as Pidgey noticed. Feeling threatened, the tiny bird started flapping its wings at high speeds, kicking up a cloud of dust that temporarily blinded them, giving it time to escape.

"Gah! That's Pidgey's Sand Attack!" Serena exclaimed. Noah groaned and pushed through the sand, determined to catch the Pidgey. But with his eyes closed, he had no idea the bird already took off. He continued straight forward until he bumped face first into a tree.

"YEOW! Oh! My nose!" he groaned. The others started bursting into laughter as Serena and Noah looked back.

"I can't believe you two! You got shown up by a Pidgey!" Tierno laughed. Trevor did his best not to laugh, occasionally snickering to himself. Serena groaned.

"I would've caught it by now if HE had just let me! Sheesh!" Serena yelled. Noah glared at her with an angry scowl.

"What was that?! I already told you that Pidgey was mine from the start! I already had Froakie ready to go!" he shouted. Eventually, the two continued glaring at each other with anger filled faces before they each heard a chirping sound coming from nearby. Their fight stopped long enough for them to each look up and spot a small robin like Pokemon situated on the branch above them. It appeared to be a different bird than Pidgey.

"Hey! A Fletchling!" Noah called. He took out his Pokedex and quickly scanned Fletchling.

_Fletching - Type: NORMAL/FLYING  
The Tiny Robin Pokemon_

_These friendly Pokemon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail feather movements. Despite the beauty of its lilting voice, its merciless to intruders that invade its territory._

He slipped his Pokedex away and looked to Serena, who looked back at him with Fennekin's Pokeball in hand.

"Don't think you can beat me to this one Noah. Fletchling is mine." she said. But Noah smirked, telling her to save Fennekin for some other time. Serena looked on confusingly.

"E-Excuse me?" she asked. Noah looked up at the Fletchling, curiously looking back at him. The others slowly watched as Noah raised a hand into the air and started to whistle a tune. Everyone looked on in confusion.

"W-What is he doing?" Shauna asked. Fletchling heard the whistle and chirped happily, flying down to Noah's hand before perching itself on his wrist. Serena gasped.

"D-Did you see that?! That Fletchling came right to him." Tierno gasped. Serena continued watching as Noah seemed to be whistling inbetween Fletchling's chirps, seemingly pleasing the small bird. When he was done, he looked to the others.

"What? Didn't I tell you guys I speak Fletchling? Mom taught me all sorts of whistles and songs that Fletchling love. After all, I lived with my mom's Fletchling even before we moved to Vaniville Town. I know how to appeal to them." he said, lightly petting the bird's back. Serena seemed impressed, a bit jealous, but still impressed that Noah could tame a Fletchling in no time.

"Hey there little fella. How are you today? I can tell you seem like a friendly little fellow. Would you like to go traveling with me?" he asked. Fletchling chirped happily as Noah took that as a "yes", bringing out a Pokeball. He let Fletchling down before lightly tossing the ball. As it bounced off Fletchling's head, it opened up and the tiny bird was pulled inside. It then fell to the ground and rocked for a while before the light on the front went out. When it was done, Noah picked up the Pokeball.

"W-Well...I suppose that's a neat "trick". But...you know that's not a REAL catch. You can't really call it your FIRST catch unless you actually battled and actually CAUGHT it. That's just dumb luck." Serena huffed. Noah looked to her and groaned. But Tierno smirked.

"Aww...come on now Serena. You know, just as well as the rest of us, that it was pretty cool." he said. Serena huffed, staying by what she said. Trevor looked on behind them.

"Hey. Look guys. I think we can see Santalune Forest from here." he said, pointing out towards a thick patch of trees in the distance. Noah and Serena looked on before turning to each other.

"All right then. Say I don't consider Fletchling my first catch. What say this? We'll have a little "contest". Whoever finds and catches a Pokemon STRICTLY through battle first is the winner." Noah said. Serena smirked.

"You're on!" she said firmly. With that, the five continued on down Route 2, unaware of what was awaiting them as they approached Santalune Forest.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	4. Ch 4: Challenge in Santalune Forest

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 4: Challenge in Santalune Forest_**

_~ Santalune Forest ~_

Together with his friends, Noah finds himself inside Santalune Forest, the last hurdle one must go through to reach Santalune City, the home of the first gym in Kalos. As they progressed through the tree filled forest, they looked around at all the many wild Pokemon rustling about in the woodworks, including Caterpie, Weedle and Scatterbugs.

"All right. So, you two ready for your little "challenge"?" Trevor asked. Noah and Serena stopped, looking at one another before nodding.

"Sure am." they said in unison. Shauna and Trevor chuckled as Tierno smirked.

"All right then! Then let's go over the rules! Using ONLY your starter Pokemon, you must battle and catch a Pokemon! The first to catch one and report back to me is the winner!" he announced. Serena nodded.

"And just to make sure that no one cheats, we'll each have someone nearby to observe to make sure we ACTUALLY catch something. That's right. You can't "whistle" your way out of this one Noah." Serena said. Noah smirked.

"Yeah right. I wouldn't need to cheat in order to beat you. Anyway, Shauna? You feel like coming with me?" he asked. Shauna lightly gasped.

"Me? Sure! Okay!" she nodded. Serena suddenly took Trevor's hand.

"Fine. Then Trevor is with me." she said. Trevor gawked, looking at Serena with fear.

"W-Wha...?! O-Okay." he stuttered. Tierno smirked and asked Noah to hand over Fletchling, knowing that Serena might complain more if he went on with it. Noah looked to her and agreed, figuring she would as he passed the Pokeball to him.

"Everyone ready? Then...BEGIN!" Tierno called. With that, Shauna and Noah looked to each other before darting off on their own in different directions, taking Shauna and Trevor with them.

_~ Santalune Forest | East | Noah and Shauna ~_

Taking the east side of the forest, Noah went with Shauna in search of a Pokemon. They pushed their way through bushels of grass in their search. Their hunt took them deep into the wood. However, Shauna soon stopped when she saw a small group of flowers by her feet, looking down with a giggle.

"Aww! Look Noah! Aren't they pretty?" she asked. Noah stopped and looked back, seeing Shauna picking one of the flowers. He lightly huffed.

"Yeah. Yeah. Flowers. Whatever. I'm trying to keep my eyes out for a Pokemon, if you forgot. I got to make sure I catch something that will knock the socks off of Serena." he said. Shauna looked over at him and sighed.

"I know. But...don't take it so seriously. Its just a fun competition after all, right?" she asked, hurrying to join him. However, he suddenly came to a stop when he saw something sleeping on a chopped down tree trunk. It appeared to be a small yellow Pokemon taking a nap. Shauna looked around Noah and gasped, seeing the Pokemon's sleeping face.

"Ooh! Is that...what I think it is?!" she squeaked. Noah said he didn't recognize it as he took out his Pokedex. The screen brought up the picture for Pikachu.

_Pikachu - Type: ELECTRIC  
The Mouse Pokemon_

_It raises its tail to check its surroundings. It has small electric sacs on both cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs._

Noah chuckled as he made a fist.

"A Pikachu, eh? Heh. This is just the Pokemon I've been looking for." he said. Shauna gasped, watching as Noah charged ahead, grabbing hold of Froakie's Pokeball.

"W-Wait! Noah! I wanna catch it!" she whined, chasing after him. All the rustling from the grass caught the notice of the sleeping Pikachu who looked over towards them. When it saw Noah, it gasped.

"Froakie! Let's catch us a Pikachu!" he called. Throwing his Pokeball, Froakie came flying out and landed on the ground, glaring intensly at the Pikachu who looked on nervously.

"Froakie! Bubble!" he called. Froakie unleashed a barrage of bubbles from its mouth, but before they made contact, Pikachu leaped from the stump and began to flee.

"H-Hey! Come back here!" Noah yelled "Froakie! After it!" he shouted. They began giving chase, determined not to lose sight of Pikachu with Shauna tailing as best she could. Their chase took them orbiting around the trees and thick grasses of the forest, seemingly wearing each side out. As they continued the chase, Pikachu eventually was seen ducking into a cave, located in the woods. Noah and Froakie stopped at the cave's entrance to catch their breath alongside Shauna.

"F-Finally! Got you!" he panted, looking into the cave with a smirk. Shauna leaned against the side of the cave entrance and dropped to her rear.

"Ugh! That's enough exercise for me. But...man Noah. Y-You sure keep your eyes on what you want." she panted. Noah looked back and lightly smirked. He then turned back to the cave and pointed straight inside.

"Don't think hiding in there is gonna help! Froakie! Time for a Bubble shower! Rapid fire!" he called. Froakie nodded and started blasting bursts of bubbles right after another in a straight line. Though he couldn't see, he heard the bubbles popping on impact, believing he had hit Pikachu.

"Ha ha! Yes! Okay Froakie! Quick Attack now!" he yelled. Froakie crouched down before lunging straight into the cave, slamming head first into something. The impact was heard but it was followed by a low growl, surprising them both.

"Uhhh...Shauna? Do Pikachu growl like THAT?" Noah asked, sounding fearful. Shauna shook her head, saying they "shouldn't". Suddenly, they saw the wild Pikachu and Froakie came rushing out of the cave and cowered behind his legs.

"H-Huh? What the?" he asked. Suddenly, they heard the growl again and looked back into the cave, seeing a giant black and white bear Pokemon emerge with an angry scowl and a few bruise markings on its face, evident that it was the creature Froakie's attacks had been hitting. It had raggedy fur that stuck up everyway and had the head of a panda with a twig in its mouth. The giant bear gave a loud, vicious roar, causing everyone to scream.

"B-B-B-B-BIG!" Shauna cried. Noah gulped as he took out his Pokedex.

"W-Who's the oversized, very ANGRY, teddy bear?" he shuddered. His Pokedex quickly scanned the giant bear.

_Pangoro - Type: DARK/FIGHTING_

_The Daunting Pokemon_

_It charges ahead and bashes its opponents like a berserker, uncaring about any hits it might take. Its arms are mighty enough to snap a telephone pole._

Noah and Shauna, including Froakie and the Pikachu, looked up fearfully at the giant Pangoro, glaring at them full of rage. After it gave off a menacing growl, the giant bear gave a loud angry roar.

"GAH! R-RUN FOR IT!" Noah exclaimed. Shauna followed with a scream as she, Froakie and Pikachu followed. The Pangoro chased after them, roaring loudly.

**_~ POKEMON XY ~_**

_~ Santalune Forest | West | Serena and Trevor ~_

Meanwhile, in the western half of the forest, we find Serena and Trevor face to face with a wild Beedrill. The giant bug had just freshly hatched from a Kakuna shell and was challenged to a battle by Fennekin. The battle had been going on for a while as Beedrill seemed exhausted and covered in burn marks from Fennekin's fire.

"Now Serena! Throw your Pokeball!" Trevor called. Serena nodded, taking hold of a Pokeball from her bag.

"You're MINE bee!" she called. With a mighty throw, the ball made contact with Beedrill and sucked it inside. It then dropped to the ground where it rocked around for a while before a click was heard. Serena looked with a grin as she picked up the ball.

"Heh heh heh. A fully evolved Pokemon. Let's see Noah top THIS." she said, facing Trevor. Trevor agreed, saying Beedrill was quite a find. Just then, they all heard the sound of Noah and Shauna's screams filling the air.

"H-Huh? What the?" Trevor asked. They all looked towards the sound and saw Noah and Shauna, with Froakie and Pikachu, fleeing their way. They came to a screeching halt once they saw each other.

"S-Serena! Help us!" Shauna cried. She looked at Noah's fearful face as he looked back.

"Heh. What's wrong Noah? You a big scaredy cat when it comes to REAL battles? What's got you...so...?" she asked, slowly looking behind him to see the raging Pangoro coming their way. Spotting the beast, Trevor and Serena yelled in fright.

"W-W-W-What is THAT thing?! Bigfoot?!" Serena exclaimed. Trevor quickly ducked behind her as Pangoro came to a screeching stop, giving out a loud vicious roar.

"I-It's a Pangoro! Noah was chasing after a Pikachu into its cave when we accidentally ticked it off! Now it wants to EAT us!" Shauna exclaimed. Noah and Serena looked on at the giant Pangoro, glaring at them. Fennekin suddenly stepped forward, aiming to protect Serena.

"F-Fennekin! Ember! Let's go!" she called. Fennekin unleashed a barrage of flares from its mouth, effortlessly swatted away by the giant Pokemon. It gawked in fear as Pangoro drew a fist back and swung it straight forward, smashing Fennekin away.

"T-That was a Comet Punch!" Trevor gasped. Fennekin quickly flipped itself back into the air before landing on the ground. It suddenly came charging again at Pangoro.

"O-Okay. Fennekin! Scratch!" Serena yelled. The small fox leaped into the air and dove at Pangoro. But the giant grabbed it with its giant hands and slammed it to the ground. Afterwards, it started to pound at Fennekin with its palms, one after another, thrusting it into the dirt.

"Now its using Arm Thrust! Serena! Do something! Call Fennekin back!" Trevor shouted. But Serena was looking on in fear, seeing her Pokemon taking the vicious pounding. She could feel her heart beating faster.

"N-No. I-I can't beat it. Fennekin's going to get pummeled into mush." she muttered. The sight of the rageful Pangoro had her paralyzed in fear. Noah looked to Serena.

"S-Serena..." he muttered. He looked back at Pangoro, still continuing its rage before throwing Fennekin away.

"This is my fault. Fennekin's going to be turned to fertilizer!" he thought. He groaned, unsure of what to do next. He was fearful that no one was a match for the bear at this level. But just then, he envisioned a silhouette in his mind, appearing to be the same as his father. He suddenly gasped.

"N-No. I can't just stand here and do nothing. If my dad were here, he'd set this bear straight. Besides, I can't be a Pokemon master unless I face challenges head on. And if this bear thinks it can scare me, its DEAD wrong." he said. Serena looked over at Noah, giving a determined stare. Froakie looked up at Noah's intense look in his eyes and suddenly found its courage as well, turning to Pangoro. The battered Fennekin slowly rose back onto its feet as it glared at Pangoro, starting to charge straight for her.

"Froakie! Do it!" he yelled. Froakie gave a loud cry as it sprung off its hind legs with great strength. Pangoro saw the frog coming and was struck in the cheek by a Tackle attack, tumbling the great giant. Serena and Fennekin both gasped.

"Hurry and get Fennekin out of there." Noah said firmly. Serena looked at Noah before lightly nodding, recalling her injured Pokemon into its ball. The giant bear rose back up and shook its head, gasping when it saw Froakie and Noah, remembering HE was the one that woke him. Its eyes narrowed as it got back on its feet and roared.

"That's right! I'm not running anymore! Bring it on ya oversized punching bag! You wanted ME, didn't you?!" he yelled. Pangoro roared and came charging with fist drawn back. Froakie lunged into the air and unleashed a barrage of bubbles. Though they struck home, Pangoro's brawn was too much and it came with a massive punch to Froakie. However, the frog flipped back over and sprung off the ground into another direct Tackle to the face. But Pangoro countered with Comet Punch. Each time Froakie would spring back at Pangoro, the giant bear would retaliate and strike him back down.

"Dang it! Straight on head to head isn't doing anything! I've got to find someway to take this behemoth down in one shot!" Noah thought. As Froakie was struck down again, Noah suddenly noticed a group of trees surrounding them, almost in a perfect circle. He then remembered how strong Froakie seemed to be when he sprung with all his might.

"That's it! Froakie! Jump on the trees and hop! Hop as FAST and HARD as you can!" he shouted. Froakie looked to Noah and nodded, suddenly leaping towards a tree as Pangoro came with an Arm Thrust and missed. Following his plan, Froakie leaped between the trees with all his might, soon becoming a blur of speed between the trees. Pangoro had come to a screeching halt and looked around in frustration as it tried to keep up with Froakie's speed. Soon, it became apparent that the bear couldn't keep its eyes on him.

"Ah! I-I get it! Noah's using Froakie's strong legs to build up speed as he's hopping around the trees! That's brilliant! Not only can Pangoro not keep up, but he won't see Froakie's attack coming because he's going so fast!" Trevor exclaimed. Shauna gasped.

"F-For real?!" she asked. Serena looked on in surprise as Froakie was far too fast for Pangoro and looked on with a grin.

"Now Froakie! When you're good and ready, let him have it! Hold NOTHING back!" Noah yelled. As Froakie landed on the last tree, it suddenly sprang itself at full speed towards Pangoro. The bear gasped as it spotted the frog, but was too late as it rammed itself at blinding speeds into Pangoro face first. The impact was heavy enough to topple the giant and send him crashing to the ground with a heavy thud as Froakie landed on the ground, catching its breath. Suddenly, without thinking, Noah reached for a Pokeball.

"GO! Pokeball!" he shouted, throwing it at Pangoro. The bear remained out long enough for the ball to make contact, pulling it inside. Once clamped shut, it dropped to the ground. The Pokeball start to viciously rattle around, evident of Pangoro trying to escape, as Noah watched it carefully. Finally, after it rocked around for a while, it clicked shut and the light on the front faded. Serena and the others gasped.

"D-Did he just...?" Shauna asked. Noah quietly approached the Pokeball and picked it up, looking at it with a calm face before suddenly grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly raised the Pokeball into the air with a mighty cheer.

"All right! I caught Pangoro!" he yelled. Trevor and Serena seemed shocked beyond words as Shauna gasped, rushing over cheering as loud as he was. Serena watched them celebrating before lightly smiling.

"Wow. He's really something. First taming that Fletchling so easily...now this? I have a LOT of work to do." she thought. She suddenly saw Noah flashing the Pokeball in her face.

"How's that Serena? Looks like I win this contest." he said. Sensing he was back to normal, Serena huffed.

"As IF. I just caught a Beedrill moments before you and "gorilla bear" showed up. So I win." she said. Noah suddenly gawked and groaned, slumping over.

"Oh man! That stinks!" he groaned. But shortly after, Serena lightly chuckled, catching his attention.

"However...I'll agree to let you win this time. Not only did you prove you're a great battler, but your catch is WAY bigger than mine. So...you win." she said. Noah lightly gasped and blushed.

"Uhhh...t-thanks." he chuckled. Shauna and Trevor both looked on before turning to each other and smiling.

**_~ POKEMON XY ~_**

_~ Santalune Forest | Exit ~_

Traveling together again, Noah and friends soon caught up with Tierno by the exit of the forest. They saw him and waved as he did the same.

"Hey! I was just wondering when you guys would show up! Its a good thing for you that I went ahead and found us the exit!" Tierno called. They all gathered together as Noah and Serena showed their Pokeballs to him.

"So...who won?" he asked. Serena chuckled and admitted that Noah won this round. Shauna sighed.

"But man, did we have our hands full...even for beginners." she sighed. Tierno asked why as Trevor explained the fiasco that took place with the giant Pangoro. Tierno lightly gasped.

"F-For real? Heh. So THAT'S what that screaming was for. And here I thought you were just in the heat of the moment! Whoopsie!" he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Noah and Serena gasped.

"W-W-What?! You mean you HEARD us calling for help and didn't come?!" Serena shouted. Tierno nervously chuckled, apologizing up and down for it. The two groaned and looked to each other, each getting a sly idea as Serena nodded.

"Its okay Tierno. In fact, how about I let you meet my...new "friend"? Heh heh." Noah snickered, tossing the Pokeball into the nearby bush. Tierno watched as a light flashed and, emerging in a vicious roar, was Pangoro. Tierno yelled in fear and suddenly started to flee out of the forest at high speeds, leaving everyone else to laugh.

"Serves you right Tierno! Next time a friend's in trouble, its smart to ACT!" Shauna teased. Pangoro growled as Noah patted his arm, causing him to glare at him.

"Sorry for disturbing you in your cave big guy. But I hope you and I become good pals. Because, as of now, we're Pokemon and partner." he chuckled. But Pangoro was still angry, suddenly socking Noah in the face, leaving him with a comical black eye as it stomped around in frustration.

"Looks like your "partner" isn't too keen about the idea JUST yet." Serena said slyly. Noah chuckled, sitting back up as he recalled Pangoro into its ball.

"Well, this ought to be a challenge. I'll see just how long it takes until "Grumpy" here accepts me." he said. As Serena helped him up onto his feet, we notice someone peeking its head out from the bushes behind them. Having fled earlier out of fear but had watched the fight, we find it was the Pikachu Noah was chasing. It looked on as the group continued on, out of the forest.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	5. Ch 5: Let's Make Memories

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 5: Let's Make Memories_**

_~ Santalune City | Afternoon ~_

Noah and the others exited the forest and, after passing through the following route, found themselves in the humble and quaint Santalune City. They all stood together looking out at the front gates of the city in awe. They saw all kinds of people strolling through the city streets with their Pokemon. The buildings themselves were absolutely beautiful as the architecture was similar to that of European style. Shauna reached into the bag around her waist and took out a small camera.

"Hmm? What's that Shauna?" Noah asked. Shauna chuckled.

"Its something I brought from home. I wanna take pictures of everything I see and do on my Pokemon trip. And I figured since we just came to our first town together, we should have a group photo." she said. Serena nodded, figuring that was a fine idea. So, to Shauna's wishes, everyone joined together by the right side of the gate, situated with each other and posing with their Pokemon as Shauna found someone to take the picture. When the picture was taken, she checked the photo for herself.

"So how do you guys like it?" she asked. Everyone looked over her shoulder at the picture, seeing Tierno with Corphish on his shoulder, Trevor with Litleo inbetween his legs, Shauna with Chespin in her arms, Serena having Beedrill and Fennekin near her and Noah standing with a smile as he held Froakie in his arms, had Fletchling on his shoulder and Pangoro standing annoyingly behind him with arms crossed.

"I think Pangoro could've at LEAST smiled. Talk about a grump." Noah complained. Serena chuckled.

"Don't forget that you DID burst in on its home unannounced there Noah. I'd be grumpy too if you started attacking me in MY house." Tierno said. Noah looked on, having a quick flashback to the "chaos" that took place in the forest, before nervously chuckling.

"Y-Yeah. Heh. That's right." he chuckled. Suddenly, everyone watched as Trevor was heading back to Santalune Forest.

"Huh? Trevor? Where are you going?" Shauna asked. Trevor stopped and looked back at everyone.

"S-Sorry guys. But...wasn't it here that we agreed to part ways? We never made plans to stick around beyond Santalune City, correct? I want to go back to the forest and do more Pokedex data collecting. After all, that's what the professor said." Trevor explained. Shauna lightly gasped.

"O-Oh yeah. That's right. I almost forgot. Speaking of which, I never got the chance to do a lot of catching back in the forest myself. So...I think I'll stick around with Trevs a bit while longer. So...I guess I'm out too." Tierno added. Noah and Serena, though partially saddened, nodded and waved as their friends headed back into the woods. Noah looked to Serena.

"So...what are you gonna do?" Noah asked. Serena shrugged, saying she hadn't really given much thought to it. But just then, the two of them felt a hand grab onto them each. They looked and saw Shauna, looking down with teary eyes.

"Shauna?" Serena asked. They both heard Shauna lightly sniffling, holding tightly to their hands.

"D-Don't tell me you guys are leaving too. I...I don't want to say goodbye." she sniffled. Noah and Serena watched as she looked up at them, tears building in her eyes.

"Shauna..." Noah muttered. Shauna's eyes continued to fill with tears as she sniffled.

"M-Mom always told me...the b-best memories on a trip are t-those you make with OTHERS. I...I don't want to m-make memories...all alone..." she sniffled. Serena looked on with a worried expression as she turned back to her and suddenly hugged her. She gently rubbed Shauna's head, helping to calm her.

"It's okay Shauna. If that's how you feel, then, I won't say goodbye here either. I'll stick around with you." she muttered. Shauna lightly sniffled as she looked at her, asking if she was telling the truth, seeing her nod.

"How about you Noah?" Serena asked. Noah nodded.

"Sure. I won't leave you Shauna. After all, you guys are my friends. I need SOMEONE to talk to besides my Pokemon." he said. Seeing her friends before her, Shauna sniffled and slipped slowly out of Serena's hug, wiping her eyes. She looked to them with a refreshing smile.

"Th-Thank you...both of you." she sniffled. Together, the three friends smiled and turned towards Santalune City together.

**_~ POKEMON XY ~_**

Noah and his friends headed for the nearest Pokemon Center in order to check in their worn down Pokemon. As Serena checked in their Pokemon, Noah looked over towards the far side of the center, seeing video phones lined up alongside a wall.

"I wonder how mom is. Maybe I should call and tell her how it's been going." he thought. With a nod, he found the closest, available video phone and dialed his house on its touch screen. At his house in Vaniville Town, their video phone began to ring as well. Answering it was Grace, Noah's mother.

"Hello?" she asked. As the video screen projected Noah's face, she lightly smiled.

"Hi mom. It's me. How've you been?" he asked. Grace chuckled.

"Hello sweetie. How's your journey so far? Where are you?" she asked, looking at Noah's smiling face.

"I'm in Santalune City. We just exited the forest." he explained "I've already caught two Pokemon. And if you're gonna ask, Froakie and I are doing great." Grace smiled.

"Glad to hear that. So, what Pokemon did you catch? I bet something REALLY CUTE, right?" she asked. Noah chuckled, saying he caught someone "interesting" all right. He took out a Pokeball and released the beast within, specifically Pangoro. The sight of the bear spooked Grace on screen.

"O-Oh! I see you've already m-made a new friend..." she stuttered. Noah chuckled, looking over as Pangoro glared at him.

"Y-Yeah. Funny thing happened with him. I ended up catching him purely by chance. But...I have a feeling Pangoro and I are going to be good pals. Ain't that right big guy?" he asked. Pangoro looked at him and snorted, turning away in a huff with arms crossed, slightly embarrassing him.

"Well...I won't say we're exactly "pals" yet. But we-we're working on it." Noah chuckled. Grace chuckled as well.

"Still, I'm happy to see you having fun honey. Do your best and I'll be waiting for you to come home. I can't wait to hear about all the exciting stories you'll have." she said. Noah nodded before hanging up. Hen then saw Serena approaching them with Froakie's Pokeball in hand.

"Here you go. The nurse said Froakie just needed time to rest. He's all set now." she explained. He thanked Serena and took back Froakie's ball. As Pangoro stomped off by itself, Noah seemed partially embarrassed.

"Hmm? Noah? What's the matter?" she asked.

"Sorry again...about what happened to Fennekin in the forest. It...It was all my fault." he said. Serena looked on before she lightly sighed, patting his shoulder.

"Hey. Don't blaim yourself. Besides, you did save Fennekin. So...don't take it so hard." she said. Noah looked up at her and lightly chuckled. They then both noticed Pangoro sitting by itself by the front doors to the center with arms crossed.

"I think what you SHOULD be focusing on is taming HIM." she added. Noah lightly chuckled.

"Heh heh. Yeah. I figured as much." he said. Just then, they both noticed Shauna by the front doors as well, waving her arm.

"Hey! Hey! You guys! You're not gonna believe this! Hurry outside!" she called. Noah and Serena looked on with confusion before hurrying outside.

**_~ POKEMON XY ~_**

When they arrived outside, Noah and Serena both saw a Pikachu sitting out by the front gates of the Pokemon Center. And, to Noah and Shauna's surprise, it was the same Pikachu that they saw in Santalune Forest.

"Huh? Hey...Shauna. Isn't he that Pikachu I was chasing all over the place back in the forest?" he asked. Shauna nodded.

"Yeah. I'd never forget this cute face. It seems like he came all the way out here...to find you." she explained. Noah seemed a bit surprised as he pointed at himself. Shauna lightly nodded.

"You wanted to see me little fella?" he asked. Pikachu looked up at him before its cheeks began to spark. Noah lightly gasped.

"H-Hold up. You want to battle? Is that it?" he asked. Pikachu nodded, causing Noah to grin.

"All right. I was actually wondering why you took off during that whole "Pangoro" fiasco. But at least now...I'll finally get my chance to catch you!" he chuckled. Serena sighed, asking if this Pikachu was the reason for everything that took place. Noah and Shauna nervously chuckled.

"I figured." she sighed. But putting that aside, Noah and the wild Pikachu faced one another on the empty street in front of the Pokemon Center. The little electric mouse's cheeks began to spark as Noah smirked, reaching for a Pokeball at his waist.

"All right! Froakie! Let's go!" he yelled, throwing his froggy friend into the fray. Froakie popped out of its Pokeball and landed on the ground, face to face with Pikachu.

"Okay! Froakie! Bubble!" he yelled. Froakie unleashed a stream of bubbles as Pikachu jumped aside to avoid. It then fired a blast of electricity that came racing at Froakie.

"Look out! It's a Thundershock! And Froakie's WEAK to electric types!" Serena cried. Noah nodded.

"Froakie! Dodge and then come at it with Tackle!" he called. Froakie leaped aside to avoid the lightning blast and charged for Pikachu. The attack was successful, causing Pikachu to skid backwards.

"Now Bubble!" he called. Froakie took a deep breath before launching a powerful bubble blast, striking Pikachu right afterwards. The impact made Pikachu skid backwards again. It suddenly sprung back like a rocket, ramming into Froakie's chest.

"That was a Quick Attack!" Shauna gasped. Noah groaned.

"We can match that! Froakie! Ram him right back!" he yelled. Froakie skid back before springing off its legs and headbutting Pikachu in the gut. With that hit, Pikachu went sliding across the dirt ground. As it did, Noah took out a Pokeball.

"You're mine THIS TIME!" he shouted, throwing it towards Pikachu. As the ball made contact and began pulling Pikachu in, we can see a small smile on its face before it clamped shut. Afterwards, the ball landed on the ground and started to rock. All eyes remained locked on it before the ball clicked shut. However, Noah seemed rather quiet as he picked up the Pokeball.

"Well, that was a bit of a "lackluster" battle. I thought I'd get more of a battle than THAT." he said. Serena lightly nodded.

"Whaddya mean Noah?" Shauna asked. Serena mentioned that it seemed like Pikachu wanted to be caught. Shauna looked at the Pokeball in Noah's hand.

"You think so?" she asked. Noah shrugged, thinking that was the case too. Just then, they heard what sounded like a digital beep coming from nearby. They looked back and saw someone, a young woman, with a video camera in her hand. She was wearing a black shouldered, red top with long white trousers with a black belt. She put down the video camera and looked on with hazel colored eyes.

"Pretty cool battle there kid. Hope you don't mind me recording you like this. I can't help myself when I see something that peaks my interest." she said. Noah and the others looked in surprise as the girl slipped her camera into a pack behind her and put her hand out.

"Hi. My name's Alexa, field reporter and journalist from Lumiose City." she said, shaking Noah's hand.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	6. Ch 6: A Gym Showdown - Part 1

**_Pokemon X/Y: Tales of Kalos_**

**_Chapter 06: A Gym Showdown - Part 1_**

_~ Santalune City | Late Afternoon ~_

In Santalune City, Noah and his friends joined together in the city park after having met with Alexa, a traveling journalist who hailed from Lumiose City. The four were seen enjoying ice cream cones together as they sat on one of the benches in the park, situated beneath a green tree.

"So you guys are new Pokemon trainers huh? That's pretty cool. So I guess that means Professor Sycamore gave you guys your first Pokemon?" she asked. Noah shook his head.

"No. Not really. We didn't meet the professor. Instead, he asked a couple of our other friends to give out the Pokemon and our Pokedex. We haven't actually MET him yet." he explained. Alexa nodded.

"Okay then. Still, its pretty rare to see new trainers coming from Vaniville Town of all places. I mean, that town is way too calm and quiet." she said. Shauna nodded, agreeing with her there. Just then, they heard a goatly cry coming from nearby. They all looked and saw a large goat like Pokemon walking their direction, carrying a satchel on its back.

"Ah! There you are Gogoat. Sorry about splitting from you back there. My "journalist" instincts kicked in again." she chuckled. The goat lightly groaned as Alexa looked on with embarrassment.

"Hey! Is that a Pokemon?" Shauna asked. Alexa nodded.

"Yep. This is my partner Gogoat. He and I travel across Kalos together." she explained. Serena reached into her bag and took out her Pokedex, pointing it towards Gogoat.

_Gogoat - Type: GRASS  
The Mount Pokemon_

_It can tell how its trainer is feeling by subtle shifts in the grip on its horns. This empathetic sense lets them run as if one being. They inhabit mountainous regions._

Shauna giggled as she jumped from her seat and went to pet Gogoat, gently rubbing its face. The large goat Pokemon liked it as it looked on with a smile.

"So, what brings you kids to Santalune City? No doubt its because of the Pokemon gym that's supposed to be here, right?" Alexa asked. Noah nodded.

"Yeah. I'm aiming to become a Pokemon Master, the best trainer of all Kalos. And I guess the first step is to conquer the gyms that are around the region, right?" he asked. Alexa chuckled.

"I suppose. BUT...that means you'll be going against my little sister, Viola. And let me tell you, she's tough for a gym leader." she said. Serena looked on intrigued as Shauna continued to pet Gogoat.

"Huh? Viola? She's the gym leader AND your sister?" she asked. Just then, they heard another voice laughing. They all turned to see a young woman dressed in a white sleveless top with baggy hazy green pants, carrying a camera on a strap around her neck. She had short light blonde curls in her hair.

"Did I hear someone talking about me?" she asked with a chuckle. Alexa chuckled.

"Hey there sis! What's up?" she asked. Noah and Serena gasped, looking at each other before looking back to her.

"W-Wait. Are YOU Viola? The Santalune Gym Leader?" Serena asked. The girl looked to Serena and smirked.

"That's right. I'm THAT Viola all righty." she said with a wink. Suddenly, as Noah looked on in surprise, he grew a look in his eyes as he rose from his seat. Viola quickly took notice.

"Huh? Y-Yes?" she asked. Noah looked to her and quickly took hold of one of his Pokeballs.

"G-Gym Leader Viola? My name is Noah, the NEXT Pokemon Master of Kalos! A-And I challenge you to a battle!" he exclaimed, surprising everyone else.

**_~ POKEMON X/Y ~_**

Noah and Viola continued looking at each other as Noah seemed to be slightly blushing, feeling awkward as she did not quite give an "automatic" answer. Suddenly, the silence was broken as Viola sighed.

"Sorry. I mean, I know its my job to take on challengers. But I'm just not into it today. I just got back from a photo safari a while back and I'm tired." she explained. Noah groaned.

"Dang it." he thought. Just then, he felt Viola patting his shoulder.

"Hey. Buck up kiddo. I'll take you on tomorrow. So...how about that?" she asked. He looked to her and nodded, seeing her wink afterwards. As Viola then took a seat next to her sister, Serena approached Noah.

"Wow. What got into YOU all of a sudden?" she asked. Noah looked to her and lightly sighed.

"Sorry. I guess I couldn't control myself there." he said. Serena quietly looked on before she sighed.

"Seriously Noah. I know you want to become a Pokemon master and all...but you can't just go JUMPING into a gym battle like that. For one thing, do you even KNOW what type of Pokemon she specializes in? And for that matter, do you know ANY of the moves your other Pokemon know besides Froakie? I think you ought to use today to get to know your Pokemon before you go charging into your first gym battles. Because from what I've heard, gym battles are NOT easy." she said. Noah looked on at her before lightly looking away.

"O-Oh. Well, you make a good point. Sorry." he said. Serena shook her head.

"I just hope you won't be this way EVERY time you go to challenge a gym. Rule one of being a trainer! Preparation!" she explained. Just then, she took hold of Noah's hand and started walking towards another section of the park with him as Shauna watched.

"Huh? Hey! Where you guys going?" she called. Serena explained that she was just helping Noah prepare for his gym battle and would be right back.

_~ Santalune City Park - Later ~_

Once in a vacant spot in the park, Serena let go of Noah and told him that he should start by doing some training with his Pokemon. Noah nodded.

"Heh. Yes "master"." he teased. She watched as Noah took a hold of his Pokeballs and threw them all into the air.

"All right everyone! Line up!" he called. In multiple bursts of light, his Pokemon team appeared. Froakie, Pikachu, Fletchling and Pangoro appeared before Noah in a line. But the sight of the angry, towering Pangoro had the other Pokemon looking on nervously.

"Okay guys. I know this is suddenly. But we've got a scheduled gym battle with this town's gym tomorrow. And so, I wanna take today to get to know the four of you." he said. Fletching chirped happily, as did Pikachu and Froakie, but Pangoro huffed and turned away, causing Noah to groan.

"And that means YOU too grumpy!" he called. Pangoro growled and turned to Noah, striking him with a quick punch, before storming off. As he rose back up, Serena looked on at Pangoro.

"Maybe you should forget Pangoro for right now. Until he calms down, I don't think he'll be much "help" in your gym battle." Serena explained "Not EVERY trainer can command a Pokemon they caught without the proper level of experience." Noah looked to her, asking where she heard that from.

"From my parents. Like I said before, they're both well experienced trainers that taught me everything I needed to know before hand." she explained. Noah sighed, wishing he had that kind of "briefing" before he started this "Pokemon journey" stuff. Serena smirked and patted his shoulder.

"Hey. Don't worry about that. You've got me here, right? We may be rivals. But as your FRIEND, I'm here to help." she said "Anyway, I think what you and your Pokemon need is a good ol' battle. So, how about it? Your Froakie against me and Fennekin?" Noah turned to her and smirked.

"Okay then. Let's call this the first "rival battle"." he sneered. Serena smirked as well, sensing a "challenger" appearing. With that, the two called out their starter Pokemon and faced each other.

"Let's go Froakie! Tackle now!" he called. Froakie lunged across the field at Fennekin, who swiftly jumped aside.

"Fennekin! Ember! Let's go!" Serena called. From its mouth, Fennekin spit out a blast of small fire bits at Froakie. The frog quickly saw them coming.

"Froakie! Dodge!" Noah shouted. The tiny frog swiftly jumped to one side, but Fennekin fired more Ember blasts towards it. Sensing danger, Froakie took a high jump into the air and came diving towards the fox.

"All right Froakie! Get her!" he called. Fennekin stood its ground and glared up at Froakie, who came into a diving Tackle. However, the two still did not move as Froakie eventually skull bashed into the fox, rendering them both partially dazed and dizzy.

"Ouf! That had to hurt." Serena thought. Their two Pokemon stumbled in a daze across the field before quickly snapping out of it and turned to each other.

"All right Froakie. Let's keep it up! Bubble!" Noah called. As the battle continued to wage on, we find Viola watching from nearby with Shauna and Alexa. She kept her camera in hand as she took pictures of the dueling Pokemon.

"Just look at them go. Serena and Noah are both just too awesome." Shauna muttered. Alexa looked on at her sister and chuckled.

"Yeah. And just looking at my sister, you KNOW she's enjoying this too." she added. Viola would occasionally take pictures of the two Pokemon narrowly avoiding each other's attacks. Eventually, the two were so worn down that a final Tackle showdown between them caused Froakie and Fennekin to collapse.

"Whoa. I guess...its a draw." Noah said. Serena looked on at her exhausted Fennekin and nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe we should have break time for these two and switch to another of our Pokemon." she said. Noah agreed as they both recalled their starters. The next battle was between Serena's captured Beedrill and Noah's Fletchling.

**_~ POKEMON X/Y ~_**

_~ Santalune City | Evening ~_

After a day's worth of training, Noah and friends retired to the Pokemon Center for the night after checking in their Pokemon. We find Noah, Serena and Shauna, dressed in their pajamas, in one of the vacant guest rooms as Serena was observing Noah on one of the bunk beds, looking over his Pokeballs. Shauna sat alongside her, wearing light pink pajamas as Serena was dressed in her yellow pajamas.

"Hey. What's Noah doing Serena?" she asked. Serena smiled.

"I told Noah he should choose what Pokemon he wanted to go into battle with tomorrow. No sense in being "over prepared" for your first gym battle." she said "Also, remember what Alexa told us? Her gym only allows the challenger to use two Pokemon, same as her. Not to mention we found her specialty...Bug types." As the girls continued to look on, Noah picked up Froakie's Pokeball. Like the others, he was in his pajamas, but consisted of a dark colored bed shirt with a pair of pajama bottoms.

"Well, if she's using Bug types, Froakie can't hurt to have around. But...as for my second choice...I'm stuck between Pikachu or Fletchling. Fletchling would probably be best since its small and speedy, also because its part Flying. However, Pikachu's just the same in terms of speed." he thought. He then thought back to his grouchy Pangoro.

"Heh. NO WAY am I using Pangoro. If I know him, he wouldn't listen to a single order I give him." he sighed. He then smiled as he slipped his Pokeballs back into his bag.

"Oh well. If it comes to it, I'll just go with the flow and pick whatever fits the situation I guess." he muttered. After putting away his Pokeballs, he looked over at Serena and Shauna observing him.

"H-Huh? What? What are you looking at?" he asked. The girls looked to each other and chuckled.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just wishing you the best of luck tomorrow Noah." Serena said. Shauna nodded.

"We'll be there rooting for you! So give it everything you got!" she cried. Noah smiled, thanking both of them for the support. They then noticed the time and decided to turn in for the night. As they did, Shauna climbed into the bunk above Serena and slipped under the covers. As she did, she took Chespin's Pokeball and let out her Pokemon friend, snuggling alongside her. Serena and Noah looked up at her before getting the same idea, letting out their starter Pokemon for a peaceful night's sleep.

_~ The Next Day | Santalune City | Late Morning ~_

When the next day came, we find Noah, Serena and Shauna arriving outside the Santalune City Gym, symbolized by the official League symbol statue outside the front gates. The girls stood behind Noah who gazed at the front doors with a firm look in his eyes. On his shoulder was his partner Froakie, looking on with a similar look.

"All right Froakie. We trained super hard yesterday for this. So...you all set?" he asked. Froakie looked to him and grinned, causing him to smile back.

"Okay. Then let's do this." he said. The three continued on inside, arriving in what appeared to be the inside of a large greenhouse, complete with many trees and wild flowers growing around the field. The center of the gym housed the large battlefield where we find Viola waiting on the opposite side. Standing alongside her was her sister Alexa, not wanting to miss this. She and Noah looked at each other with a smile.

"Yeah. That determination. I knew this kid had a lot of spunk in him when I first met him. But looking at that determined look in his eyes...wow. THIS is going to be fun." she thought. Noah smirked and pointed to her.

"I hope you're ready to battle Viola...because you're gonna be my FIRST stepping stone on my path!" he called. Froakie looked pumped as well, making a fist with its webbed hand.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


End file.
